
Senior Operations Manager, Critical Facilities
- Slough, Berkshire
- Permanent
- Full-time
(Site Leadership – Driving Operational Excellence)⸻OverviewWe’re looking for a strong, influential leader to take ownership of operations at one of our key sites. This is a senior leadership role requiring someone who can set high standards, inspire technical teams, and bring people with them on the journey towards operational excellence.This is not an IT management role. Instead, we’re seeking someone with a background in engineering, technical operations, or facilities leadership. While data center experience is an advantage, we also welcome candidates from telecommunications, infrastructure, and other mission-critical technical environments. You will have been accountable for running an operation, responsible for the delivery outcomes, operating costs, and the complexities of engaging with multiple stakeholders⸻Key ResponsibilitiesLeadership & People Management
- Lead, inspire, and develop teams of experienced technical professionals and/or subordinate managers.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Oversee full people management responsibilities, including hiring, coaching, development, and performance reviews.
- Act as a visible, hands-on leader who sets the tone and brings others along on the journey.
- Define and deliver on operational objectives, policies, and procedures to ensure site performance meets or exceeds Equinix standards.
- Drive operational efficiency, reliability, and safety across the site.
- Manage budgets, cost controls, and resource planning effectively.
- Partner closely with senior stakeholders on site capacity planning and infrastructure strategy.
- Plan and deliver site infrastructure projects on time, within scope, and on budget.
- Oversee technical maintenance, system upgrades, and facility expansions.
- Collaborate with engineering and design teams during new facility handovers.
- Ensure vendors consistently deliver to agreed KPIs and SLAs.
- Build strong supplier relationships and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Act as the senior incident lead during critical events, coordinating teams and ensuring timely resolution.
- Lead root cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are implemented quickly.
- Oversee compliance, MOP approvals, and testing protocols to ensure operational resilience.
- Proven leadership in technical operations within complex, high-availability environments (data centers, telco, engineering, or large-scale infrastructure).
- Experience leading and developing technical or multi-disciplinary teams.
- Strong background in engineering, facilities management, or mission-critical operations.
- Track record of raising performance standards and delivering operational excellence.
- Comfortable managing budgets, technical projects, and senior stakeholder relationships.
- Typically 12+ years of relevant experience or equivalent progressive leadership roles.
- Inspire and influence — lead people, not just manage them.
- Raise the bar — set ambitious standards for safety, quality, and performance.
- Be technically credible — engage confidently with engineers, vendors, and technical teams.
- Thrive under pressure — operate effectively in mission-critical, high-availability environments.